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Exercise Physiologist, Researcher, Author and Blogger

Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin

Bio

Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin, best known as Nina Cherie, PhD, is an avid research scientist and health advocate with more than 15 years of experience and expertise. She holds a BS in Kinesiology, a MS in Movement Science/Exercise Physiology, and a PhD in Kinesiology, Nutrition and Rehabilitation. Dr. Franklin is also a Certified and Licensed Clinical Massage Therapist and an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist. She is author of a book titled "Leaving Your Fat Behind", which is a woman's guide to weight loss and long-term weight management and also maintains an active blog entitled "You, Your Body and Your Health". Through her blog, academic research and numerous other media outlets, Dr. Franklin has published well over 600 health-related articles, how-to-videos and other informative resources. In addition to her academic and professional endeavors, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, engaging in community service endeavors, running, weight lifting and preparing exotic salads and healthy soul food.

Why ACEL?

"As both an exercise scientist and recreational athlete, I’ve tried a whole lot of compression socks in the past, none of which left a lasting impression. I decided to give the Acel brand a try while training for two consecutive half marathons, scheduled just a week apart. Given that one of these marathons would be my very first trail race, my training was quite intense with a whole lot of hill climbing and running on uneven terrain and, oftentimes, over sharp, dangerous rocks. Prior to training, I hadn’t run in the trails for years so I suspected that my initial runs would require extended recovery times. On my very first training day, during which I ran 8 miles in the trails, I wore Acel compression socks and continued to wear them on and off over the next 24 hours. I can honestly say that I experienced absolutely no muscle soreness in my lower limbs and was completely amazed. As a scientist, I was a initially a bit skeptical thinking this might have been some sort of a placebo effect but as someone who’s been running for nearly 20 years, I know my body and how it responds to new exercises so I wholeheartedly attribute the quick recovery time to my wearing Acel compression socks. Moreover, these socks withstood months of training for and subsequent completion of both half marathons along with countless washes and dries and, as of this day, they’re still like new and equally as effective. " - Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin

Jen Malik

Bio

Jen Malik is a 24-year-old PhD student studying Biomedical Engineering at The Ohio State University, but also an elite athlete with aspirations to race professionally while giving back to the community through volunteer activities in the Columbus, OH area. Introduced to the sport later than most of her competitors she has excelled over the past year and a half. Passion, community, and adventure drive Jen as does her life mantra of “Shred hard. Shred smart. Get Rad.” When she is not racing you can find Jen cheering on fellow riders with a cowbell in hand and ‘cross heckles at the ready.

Why ACEL?

“ACEL socks are perfect for helping my legs stay fresh before and after a hard workout or race. I spend a lot of time traveling on the road to races and events, so keeping my legs fresh sitting on a long car ride is just as important as recovery post-race. I’m incredibly excited about this sponsorship as I highly value working with companies that share my enthusiasm for athletics and improving yourself as an athlete.” – Jen Malik

Social Media Links

Follow Jen on Facebook as she makes a push for the leader boards throughout the rest of ProCX Series and beyond.

Jason Karp, PhD

Bio

Jason Karp, PhD, is the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 2014 recipient of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Community Leadership award, and creator of the Run-Fit Specialist certification. He has more than 200 published articles in international running, coaching, and fitness magazines, is the author of six books, including Running a Marathon For Dummies, and speaks around the world.

IDEA Personal Trainer of the YearCreator of Run-Fit Specialist CertificationAuthor of Running a Marathon For Dummies & 5 other booksUSA National Team Member, 2013 Maccabiah Games

Why ACEL?

"Given my personal history of blood clots, I see value in using compression socks when sitting for long periods of time, like international flights. I like ACEL compression socks because they allow me to do what I normally do. I don't like feeling encumbered when I run, and ACEL compression socks are very comfortable." - Jason Karp, PhD

Marisa Jenkins

Bio

I’m a wife, mother, and trail runner in Arizona. I enjoy running our local trails and racing events of all distances. Arizona is packed with wonderful trails of moderate to severe technicality with plenty of rocks, cacti, and snakes to keep you always on your toes. As a forefoot runner and former dancer, I tend to skip about the trails leaping over rocks- hence the title of my blog and my handle for social media, Skipping Over Rocks.

Over the past year, I’ve consistently placed in the top 30% of women for my trail races with highlights of 5th female for the Sinister 27km night trail race and First place female, Second overall finisher in the Punisher 5km night trail race. This season, I will be focusing on shorter trail races as I build speed into my training. In 2016, I’ll turn 40 and hope to excel as a masters runner.

Why ACEL?

“I love the quality of the ACEL Compression socks, and with the killer price and variety of fun colors, these are the best compression garments I have ever tried. My calves take a huge beating on my rocky trail runs, and I find that I can go longer, with less fatigue, when wearing these socks.” - Marisa Jenkins

Matt Mullens

Bio

Matt Mullens is a 35-year-old Chief in the United States Navy, spanning a 17-year career with the Navy. He began running in Obstacle Course Races in 2013, recently joining the MIT OCR team. Pushing limits is the name of his game whether that be with his own personal health aspirations, his Sailors in the Navy, or friends and family. Matt believes that we should strive to become healthier mentally and physically on a daily basis.

That dedication is reflected in the results he’s seen on the OCR course where you’ll consistently find him placing in the top 20, with fifty percent of those finishes in the top 10, or better known as the elite 2% in larger competitions. Matt has won his age group many times over in small OCR’s, trail half marathons, or local 5k’s. Mullen’s never satisfied though with his main motivation to not only keep improving upon himself, but also pushing his family, friends, and MIT teammates to reach for more.

Why ACEL?

“ACEL socks are very comfortable and they have worked magic for helping my legs recover after a race, long run, sprints, or a good leg workout. I travel to a lot of events so a sock that is this comfortable and helps keep my legs fresh while I’m trekking from home to my next race is perfect. I’m very proud and excited to represent a great company that is as enthusiastic about improving society when it comes to athletics as I am.”- Matt Mullens

Jason and Jennifer Lentzke

Bio

Talk about a power couple, an elite level endurance athlete/coach and a Pro Triathlete, Jason and Jennifer know their stuff.

Jennifer has raced long course triathlon professionally for the last three years, representing Canada and earning podium finishes in several 70.3 distance events. 2016 brings new challenges as Jennifer will now focus on duathlon in an effort to improve her cycling and running, all while splitting her time between racing and working full time as a dietitian.

She’s a licensed dietitian and a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, specializing in sports nutrition and wellness with an emphasis on endurance sports. After attending Baylor University for her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences, she then went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Dietetics with a minor in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida.

Under the guidance of his mentors, Jason has developed into an elite level endurance athlete and coach. For the past eight years he’s been coaching triathletes, cyclists, runners, and endurance athletes of all skill levels. Jason has guided beginners to their first Ironman finish line, pro triathletes to the podium, first time half marathoners, and virtually every skill level in between. Coach Lentzke shares his passion for endurance sports and commitment to excellence with his stable of athletes.

Jason emphasizes consistency, patience and dedication are required to develop the skills needed to perform your absolute best. There are no short cuts and there is no such thing as “race-day-magic.” You must exceed the demands of competition in training.

Why ACEL?

“As life-long endurance athletes, Jennifer and I are always looking for a competitive edge and seeking marginal gains. In our pursuit of multi-sport perfection, we take recovery seriously. Swimming, cycling, running and gym work can take a toll on our bodies. In an attempt to optimize recovery, we’ve tried many compression garments in a very saturated market.

However not until we came across ACEL compression were we truly blown away by how well our bodies responded. Whether traveling across the country to an event or trying to bounce back in between training sessions, ACEL’s high quality compression and durability allows us to bounce back just a little bit quicker and perform better on race day.”- Jason and Jennifer Lentzke

Jamie Stiles

Bio

Jamie Stiles is a 31-year-old animal loving veterinary technician, living in beautiful sunny Florida with her wonderful fiancé. She enjoys spending time in nature, especially if it involves being on the ocean. Living a healthy lifestyle is extremely important to her, both in the kitchen and in her training. Her philosophy is that you’re only given one body, so you better take care of it!

Stiles has always been heavily involved in fitness from figure competitions to 5-10k’s, half marathons, and even a triathlon. That passion is what led her to Obstacle Course Racing, her new obsession, and rightfully so with how well she’s been competing.

Jamie consistently places in the top 5 or 10 females at every event with several podium finishes under her belt, another great representative of the MIT OCR team. While very proud of what she has accomplished, that success has not diminished her drive though, she continues to challenge and push herself to reach for more.

Why ACEL?

“Recovery is such an important aspect of a person’s health, which is why I love ACEL compression socks! Not only are they extremely comfortable, they are medical grade and help my tired legs recover by decreasing lactic acid buildup while increasing oxygen deliver to the body. Meaning my muscles are working more efficiently and recovering faster.

They also really help with keeping muscle cramps and shin splints at bay, which can be a runner’s worst nightmare! I wear them while I race as well as while I’m relaxing at home. Sometimes I even wear them to work, where I’m on my feet for 10-12 hours at a time. Whether someone is a pro athlete or needing some help with blood circulation, the benefits of wearing ACEL compression socks can’t be denied.”- Jamie Stiles